ACADIA Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ACAD) Upgraded to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded ACADIA Pharmaceuticals to “buy” from “hold.” The stock carries a broader “Moderate Buy” consensus, with 14 Buy ratings, three Holds and an average price target of $33.44.
• ACADIA exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting EPS of $0.18 versus $0.07 expected and revenue of $308 million versus $296.55 million forecast. Revenue rose 16.4% year over year, while shares opened at $29.21 near their 52-week high.
• Institutional investors own 96.71% of ACADIA, with BlackRock and other funds establishing new positions, although insiders sold 42,100 shares worth about $1.13 million over the past three months.

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ACAD - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report released on Saturday.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Oppenheimer lifted their price target on shares of ACADIA Pharmaceuticals from $23.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Canaccord Genuity Group increased their price objective on shares of ACADIA Pharmaceuticals from $32.00 to $36.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, June 29th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on shares of ACADIA Pharmaceuticals from $24.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of ACADIA Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, HC Wainwright reissued a "buy" rating on shares of ACADIA Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Thursday. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $33.44.

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Stock Performance

NASDAQ ACAD opened at $29.21 on Friday. ACADIA Pharmaceuticals has a twelve month low of $19.69 and a twelve month high of $29.48. The stock has a market cap of $5.03 billion, a PE ratio of 13.16, a PEG ratio of 16.74 and a beta of 0.81. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $24.39 and a 200 day simple moving average of $23.27.

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ACAD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.18 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.07 by $0.11. ACADIA Pharmaceuticals had a return on equity of 9.03% and a net margin of 33.42%.The firm had revenue of $308.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $296.55 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.16 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that ACADIA Pharmaceuticals will post 0.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at ACADIA Pharmaceuticals

In other ACADIA Pharmaceuticals news, insider James Kihara sold 5,401 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.18, for a total value of $114,393.18. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 24,509 shares in the company, valued at $519,100.62. This represents a 18.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Mark C. Schneyer sold 14,292 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $29.22, for a total value of $417,612.24. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 67,828 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,981,934.16. This represents a 17.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 42,100 shares of company stock worth $1,134,287 over the last three months. Company insiders own 26.20% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ACADIA Pharmaceuticals

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in ACADIA Pharmaceuticals during the 2nd quarter valued at about $569,634,000. Pallas Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in ACADIA Pharmaceuticals during the second quarter worth about $293,000. Deutsche Bank AG bought a new stake in ACADIA Pharmaceuticals during the second quarter worth about $6,521,000. Rice Hall James & Associates LLC bought a new position in shares of ACADIA Pharmaceuticals in the second quarter valued at approximately $15,658,000. Finally, Uniting Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of ACADIA Pharmaceuticals in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $278,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.71% of the company's stock.

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting ACADIA Pharmaceuticals this week:

• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright raised its long-term earnings outlook. The firm increased its EPS forecasts to $0.56 for FY2026, $2.95 for FY2028, $3.28 for FY2029 and $3.42 for FY2030, while maintaining a Buy rating. The revisions imply confidence in ACADIA’s earnings growth trajectory. HC Wainwright earnings estimate revisions
• Positive Sentiment: Citizens JMP raised its ACADIA price target to $36. The higher target provides additional upside relative to the recent trading level and reinforces the bullish tone surrounding the stock. Citizens JMP raises ACADIA price target
• Positive Sentiment: Recent results exceeded expectations. ACADIA reported quarterly EPS of $0.18 versus a $0.07 consensus estimate and revenue of $308 million versus expectations of $296.55 million. Revenue increased 16.4% year over year, supporting the view that operating momentum is improving. ACADIA reaches new 52-week high after earnings beat
• Positive Sentiment: Rising earnings estimates are supporting the stock. Zacks highlighted ACADIA among healthcare companies with strong earnings momentum and said recent estimate revisions could support further near-term gains. Zacks ACADIA earnings estimate outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: A separate Zacks analysis compares ACADIA’s year-to-date performance with Amneal Pharmaceuticals and the broader medical sector, providing performance context rather than a new company-specific catalyst. ACADIA performance comparison
• Negative Sentiment: HC Wainwright trimmed its Q4 2026 EPS estimate slightly to $0.20 from $0.21 and used a Hold rating in one related note, signaling some caution around near-term results. HC Wainwright quarterly estimate update

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative therapies for central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Established in 1993 and headquartered in San Diego, California, ACADIA's research centers concentrate on conditions with significant unmet medical needs, including Parkinson's disease psychosis, Alzheimer's disease psychosis, and schizophrenia. The company utilizes a range of scientific platforms, including selective receptor modulation and precision-targeted compounds, to advance its portfolio of small-molecule therapeutics.

The company's flagship product, NUPLAZID® (pimavanserin), received U.S.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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